A royal resort Birštonas

A royal resort Birštonas

The Nemunas is the largest and the wateriest river in Lithuania. A lot of songs and legends were created about it. Legends about the loops of this river are still being created, and even now geologists cannot answer the question “How did they originate?” The best visible natural beauty created by the Nemunas is from the sky – you should take a hot air balloon, plane, paraglider, or use the tallest in Lithuania Birštonas Observation Tower. Only then you van realize what a beautiful country it is.

Located in the charming Regional Park, Birštonas has long been a place of recreation and entertainment, one of the best resorts in Lithuania.

Birštonas was first mentioned in Vygandas Marburgietis’s “New Prussian Chronicle” in 1382. At that time there was a wooden Birštonas castle, which belonged to the defensive system of Panemunė castles. After the Battle of Grunwald, it lost its significance, and this place became the hunting ground of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas – from the surrounding areas beasts were driven and hunted – especially aurochs.

In XV – XVIII the hunting mansion of the Grand Dukes was here. It was loved not only by Vytautas the Great but also by Kazimieras Jogailaitis. The town grew next to the manor in 1518. Here was the royal resort in In XV – XVI centuries. The Grand Dukes of Lithuania Kazimieras Jogailaitis, Aleksandras, Žygimantas Senasis, Žygimantas Augustas rested here. 1549 Sigismund Augustus donated Birštonas to his wife Barbora Radvilaitė. After the rule of the Jagiellonian dynasty, the city began to decline. The resort was established in 1851, after salty springs. In 1924 the Lithuanian Red Cross organization undertook the city to modernize it. Birštonas was devastated after the First World War. Birštonas was revived. During World War II, the city was not damaged too much.

The current Birštonas continues the resort tradition. Birštonas is famous for drinking mineral water. People like to come here to treat digestive, musculoskeletal, circulatory, gynecological, kidney, respiratory diseases. Sanatoriums “Tulpė”, “Versmė” and “Eglė” are open all year round. There are physiotherapy treatments. Local mud is used for treatment. There are many hotels, two guest houses, Birstonas Sports Center. You can take a boat, fly in a hot air balloon, go horseback riding, ride in a carriage. Mineral water of Vytautas, Birutė, Vaidilutė, and Rūta is extracted in Birštonas.

Birstonas is a popular resort to this day. People are looking here for treatment services, clean air, quiet recreation, surrounded by nature. And there is really no shortage of nature here! After all, 82 percent territory of Birštonas municipality is in the territory of one of the largest and most beautiful Nemunas Loops Regional Park in Lithuania. The city itself has a central city park covering as much as 25 hectares. For a long time, it was more of a natural forest than a park. Following the decision to increase the park’s attractiveness, an EU-funded project was implemented and the forest turned into a park while maintaining its original naturalness. Part of the park is adapted for active recreation and tourism (bicycle paths, basketball, skateboard courts, mini-golf courses, ping-pong tables, modern exercise machines). The other part of the park is dedicated to quiet relaxation. There are romantic tracks, a harmony of nature and art in the park. “Sculpture Trail” is decorated with sculptures by Lithuanian artists. The Nemunas Loop Trail was formed from the boulders brought in to the park.

Well, in terms of free procedures and good services – this is the mineral water pavilion “Birutės vila”, where you can lie down, relax, breathe in the air saturated with mineral water, taste herbal tea. The villa has a mineral water pool, fountain, water evaporation system. The pavilion is enclosed, so you can visit it in any weather.

There is a green wooden building in the city center. This is Birštonas Kurhaus – one of the few surviving buildings of this type in Lithuania. The meaning of this word (in German) is a concert hall and dance hall with a buffet. In the interwar period, the people of Birštonas listened to jazz here. Now there is an art gallery, and various representative events are taking place here.

Birštonas has the tallest observation tower in Lithuania. You can the absolute beauty of the resort from it. The observation deck is 45 m. height, and the total height of the tower – 55m. The style of this tower is special. The metal construction with larch panels and triangular windows left reminds a wayside shrine, or the towers of old wooden castles, and symbolizes the constellations in the vault of the sky.

Many more interesting things are waiting for you in Birštonas! It’s Vytautas Hill, The Yellow buvette, Kneipp Garden, St. Antanas Paduvietis Church, The Hill oh the Songs, promenade along the Nemunas river, restaurants, cafes, and many other experiences and entertainments!

Jurginas flower is a special detail of Birštonas’ image. It was brought to Birštonas from St. Petersburg by writer Stanislovas Moravskis, the owner, of Jundeliškės manor in the 19th century. Then jurginas became a symbol of the resort. He was the first in Lithuania to start growing these flowers of amazing beauty. From here these flowers spread throughout Lithuania. Every year, when summer ends, the city hosts the Jurginai flower festival.

The coat of arms of Birštonas. It is depicted as a fantastic, golden fish with silver teeth in the blue field of the shield. The fish is with a jet of silver water gushing from its head (like a whale).